the MP's. Who was their rightful commander?
What was happening? They looked at each other in confusion, continued
to hold the gunnery officer, though less firmly. Indecision reigned
upon the bridge.

It was at this moment that Chaos played her final trick.

"Admiral," spoke an officer, who had turned back to face his station.
"Two enormous Carriers have just come out of warp. Super-Soviet
configuration. Bearing 00, 666.

"It's the Russians, sir."

*

"It's the Russians, sir."

"Now look what you've done!" cried Hayes in his fury, unable to realize
that all Frank had DONE was to keep him from killing a man untried.
"Get him out of here."

The MP's looked again at each other, then at Frank, not knowing who was
meant or what should be done. The latter inclined his head swiftly,
and they took the young officer away. As they left it, Calder entered
the enclosure.

Hayes whirled in fuming circles, ordering the chutes to be lowered and
the attack-ships discharged. The officers at their stations either
carried out his instructions or turned to Frank, who with a gesture of
weary despair raised his arms as if to say, "What else can we do?"

"We've got to move away from the gate, General," came the timid voice
of the deployment officer.

"Then do it, ass! Take us back and to port." And Hayes rattled off
some meaningless coordinates. Like a gored lion he stalked back and
forth, out of control, breathing too deeply and at intervals releasing
desperate, maddened execrations. Another hesitant voice.

"They've..... They've begun to discharge and form ranks."

"Of COURSE they have! They didn't come here to talk!"

In his earlier, false-confident musing, Hayes had said that it would
take twice the Fleet's strength to overmatch him. And that was exactly
what he now confronted---two Soviet Supercarriers, each nearly equal in
girth and firepower to the Dreadnought queen, and each bearing a
greater number of swarming killer bees.

The Russians did not attack immediately, but remained at some distance,
waiting perhaps for all their vessels to be deployed, or to be sure
that Hayes was alone and the fight would go their way. Nor did the
Americans make the first move, intimidated and dismayed by the sudden
change in their fortunes, staring across the void at the ever widening
fence of the opposing Armada.

An army used to winning, rarely knows how to face defeat.

The Dreadnought had drawn back and away f